Fluid operated mechanism with proportional feel



Dec. 10, 1957 R. M. GoLD Erm. M5737 FLUID PERATED MECHANISM WITH PRoPoRTIoNAL FEEL Filed Aug. 14, 1953 3 Sheecs-Sheeil 1 INVENTOR5 Dec. 10, 1957 R M. GoLD E11-AL FLUID OPERATED MECHANISM WITH PROPORTIONAL FEEL w AIN1-Rs d" .IJNQWNWIII --2 "A1-mmv' A 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14. 1953 Dec. 10, 1957 R. M. GOLD ET'AL F 2,815,737

FLUID OPERATED MEcHANIsM wim PRoPoR'TIoNAL FEEL Filed Aug. 14', 1953 3 sheets-sheet s Z W W AT-rennt? United States Patent O FLUID oPEiATED MECHANrsM WITH PRoPoRrroNAL FEEL Robert M. Gold and Clovis W. Lincoln, Saginaw, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 14, 1953, Serial No. 374,346

1 Claim. (Cl. 121-41) This invention relates to the power steering of automotive vehicles and more particularly concerns a uid operated power steering gear having improved centering characteristics.

The more successful of the uid power steering systems presently in use employ oil as the fluid medium and comprise an open center valve through which the oil is normally continuously circulated by an engine driven pump. In addition to being subject to the pump pressure at all times, this valve is normally open to both faces of a double-acting piston confined within a power cylinder and having a shaft or stem integral therewith or secured thereto extending from one end of the cylinder. Either the shaft or the cylinder may be operatively connected to a selected steering member. Assuming a predetermined steering resistance, one of the valve parts is caused to slide or rotate (depending on the nature of the valve) in one direction or the other, as governed by the direction of rotation of the steering wheel, to substantially or cornpletely confine the flow of oil to only one end of the cylinder while retarding or preventing exhaustion of any oil from such end. This brings about the desired powering of the steering member which continues until release of the effort at the steering wheel, when the valve parts become automatically centered,i. e. restored to their normal relative positions.

As in the case of any such servo mechanism, the automatic centering of the valve parts results from a followup action, one of the parts being so associated with a steered part that the movement of the latter tends to cause movement of the valve part to its normal relative position which is reached simultaneously with cessation of the effort at the steering wheel.

In order to obtain a steering feel, which would otherwise be lacking, a spring system providing a resistance required to be overcome incident to any relative movement of the valve components is normally built into the valve. Such resistance may, with advantage, be supplemented by a hydraulic force operating in opposition to displacement of the valve parts and bearing a direct relation to the steering resistance. The over-all added resistance may amount, for example, to about three-four pounds effort at the steering wheel, in which case the steering on smooth roads at normal cruising speeds may be entirely manual, the power means coming into play only at lesser speeds and during parking operations, for instance. Apart from providing a steering feel, the spring system, especially if aided by hydraulic means as just indicated, serves toV dampen out road shocks normally transmitted to the steering wheel and thus provides a safety factor.

In the case of the hydraulic mechanisms to which the present invention most specifically relates, the valve is of the spool-type including a central land serving on longitudinal movement of the spool to limit the oil flow to one side or the other of the piston in the power cylinder, as determined by the direction of such movement, and a pair of end lands equidistant from the central land, which 2,815,737 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 "ice are functional with respect to two return ports to the pump, or to a reservoir from which the pump is supplied. These end lands vhave previously been formed to a larger diameter than the central land for the purpose of hydraulic reaction (see above) aided by springs at either end of the valve spool. While such construction, described in detail in copending application Serial No. 273,067, led February 23, 1952, now abandoned, has worked fairly well in practice, it has been observed that a comparatively greater manual effort is required at the steering wheel to turn the same in a direction leading to the pressurizing of the piston shaft end of the power cylinder than in the other direction.

Our invention has as its principal object to correct the undesirable condition indicated. In accordance therewith, instead of forming the end lands to a larger diameter than the central land as heretofore, we form all of the lands to the same diameter, thus greatly facilitating manufacture of the valve spool, and utilize the chambers in the valve housing which contain the previously-mentioned springs as pressure chambers for hydraulic reaction. In the new valve structure, suitable passageways or conduits are provided so that, with the valve spool in centered relation, the chambers are connected to the valve inlet port and to the opposite ends of the power cylinder. On movement of the spool, the chamber in the direction of the movement becomes pressurized to the same extent as the end of the cylinder required to be pressurized to effect power turning of the dirigible wheels of the vehicle in the desired direction. Thus, a force is set up in opposition to the spool movement, this force being in proportion to, but muchless than, the force necessary to overcome the particular steering resistance obtaining, and tending, with the spring confined in the chamber, to restore the spool to its normal centered position. Depending on the particular Valve construction, the hydraulic centering force may be exerted directly against the ends of the valve spool and/or against thrust washers, for example, adjacent the ends thereof. In any case, the surfaces available for hydraulic reaction in the chamber toward which the spool travels incident to the pressurizing of the piston shaft end of the cylinder are of lesser total area than the surfaces available for `hydraulic reaction in the other chamber. In this way we compensate for the reduction in the effective area of the piston in the indicated portion of the cylinder, occasioned by the piston shaft, and the consequent relatively higher pressure needed to cause movement of the piston or cylinder, as the case may be, in the direction requiring pressurizing of such portion of the cylinder. It is this variance in pressure demand as between the two ends of the cylinder, it was discovered, which gave rise to the problem solved by our invention.

The present invention will be better understood from the following specific description which will proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the same as applied to a hydraulic power steering gear including a combined valve and cylinder assembly and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of the installation, certain parts being shown broken away;

Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of the unit;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the particular steering system;

Figure 4 is a side view showing the gear as it appears in association with the conventional gear box and steering shaft, certain parts again being shown broken away;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve and cylinder assembly;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure l0;

AFigure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 9;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Figure 5;

u. Figure 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Figure 5; and Figure l is a section on the line 10-10 o'f'FigureS'. As will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the typev as opposed to .i1 i typefasrepresented, for

example, by the gear des'v n ed Q in DavisPat.l 2,213,271,

wherein thevvalve"controlling'the iiuid ii'low, isassociated witghand actuatedby 'movementof thesteering shaft-fand the power is applied tothe pitman armi; l`I`t should-be understood at ther outset that limitationof. the. invention tt/)Hbo'ostermechanismsisu notthe1,eby intended, the impiroyerments.hereinK being equally', applicable .to integral power steering gears; Y

' i Referring tirstfl'to` Figure. 3, inwhich the frame of the vehicle and the i'ndepeiidentsuspension mountings for the dirigible wheels areindicated broken. linesfit will be observed that the system mprisgesllbell crank` linked toapalr of tielrfowdsV 12,- e lconnectingfat.itsouterrnost end ktoga radius rod *14,* tlglese` latter rods` beingfoperatively connectedto Ithe d irigible wheels. In Iplace, of 4thefu'sual drag link;there is substituted an' assembly,` generally de-l noted` bythe 'numeral 1,6,l combining a power .cylinder .18

and a' valve 'which controls the, HowI of 'the 4pressure fluid between 4the cvylipcleur and-.thesource offiiuidfv presev sure, Cylinder 1 8`coiinesapistoii 22 (FigurefSlhav-y lng iiitedmthe'reto orrintegr'al therewith a. piston-shaft .24

extending through the 'end of thek cylinder opposite the valve Zllfor attachment at 26to the frame of thelvehicle.: The valve 20, assuming a suiiicient steering resistance,

gas later explained, is actuatedvia a rod 28, which would normally betheI drag link component of the system. This rod 28 .connects with the. pitman .arm 30 depending'. from the gearvvbox32'ncon'liningthejusual gear sector zand the matlng Worrnat theqendlfof thel steeringshaft34. i u

its lefthand'enduvalve 20,hassecured thereto an adaptert; (Figures 11,: 2 andA) -providing a. socket `for the revcellatlonnof` a bal1 stud depending from.the.end.of the bell-crank arm( 3 8lv Belowx and tothe right of such adapter, as Athe saine appears in Figure 2,'is apart 40pm?, vicling asocket` forjthe: .balll st ud at the end.of the,.rod .'28-` opposlte thep1trnar1`730z Part 4Q includes afshank prtionl 42`rPaSSsns-,fhr0ugh 'an aperturearfhe endof the' stem-44, which rerpvrelseilts a portion olfhthefmovableelement vof file velveq Afriltlsecurethepait .4,040 thesrrnlM; the end okfl the i2` being .reduced.irfiimeterfand thfeedfeesiyie. fha.

Yalve"2t`l provided apair of hose fittings .48,150` (Fsser. 2st,@ .4.1- 'The cdrespondinglhqe s'cficms 52. ands@ maybe considered asfextending;respectively;` to` a pump powered asfr'omy' crank shaft of thenengineof valve, hosegSZAthe outlet or returnline. l Illustration ofithe. pumpand reservoir herein is ngt believed necessary, these parts being conventional'arid'wfell understoodfinthe art..

the 26 oi; thefvehicle; through,l rubberQbl'ocks ,'56,

one f.at either i sof the, `.centralfportion". off thev bracket, m011ntina58 Cylinder ltkgtliigureS)l will be observedwas formed of three concentric tubular members 60,1 62 and64 each of which may be y secured asY by Vwelding to the valve housing member V66 and a lcap piece 68. The tubular members are suitably spaced apart so as toA provide annular conduits 70 and 72,- the purpose 'of A.which will later'appear. Inner tubular memberV 64 is apertured at 74,'thusl opening the inner annular conduit A70 to the cylinder.v

Cylinder. cap piece 63 provides a bearing for .the piston shaft 24, the cap proper being spacedfrom .the shaft by .a bushing y.76. Beyond this bushingis ,a low-.pressure vseal 78 of aneasily recognizable typeheld in,place. by an annulart ytlmist Washer;- 80a, outside` of. which is a suitable 'vehiele and an ervoir from .whichfthefpurnp.4 draws, hose 54 thusnrepresenting the inletlineto they wiping ring retained by backup washer 84 and locking piece 82. Mediate thc'low-pre'ssure seal and the outer inner face of the cap pieceJ 68 is an annular space 86 which with a circular groove 88 in the cap piece forms what may be referred to as a uid collection chamber. A passageway 90 connects the. groove 88 and the outer annular conduit 72.

Piston 22, as shown, carriesa pair of` sealing rings 92 and is connecte'dfto'thepistonshaft 24 by means of a bolt 9A, adapted to nest-ini a recess 96.. in the valve housing membert 6 6l'whenthe pistonis in its leftmost position. i

The valve 20, inacl'dit'io'ntothe housing member 66, comprises a central housing member 98 confining a spool element 100 including a centraal land l116 and a pair of end lands 118, V of the same diameter as the central land. This spool is centrally bored to receive the previously` mentioned ,stern 44,., that portion ofthe stem vWithin the' spool v being, ofi reduced diameter. v

A AQ nut' elementi 1512@4v having., an, annular-` rib 10,4.` 1s` threaded on'rthe end of the stem 44 within thelwusmg member 6.6.10,11911fhetsppflkl tightly asanstan. al? Dll sllguldeff DMW/ids@ incide?? to. theA redutloalg theldeianieter thestein. Loosenklng.. of the nut 1021s precluded by a locking nutll within which thestem 44. terminates` A thrust washer 10;6and ,108;'surrounds.the` stern. 44 ateither4 end ogthe spook' these Washersl being contained by. annularl recesses, formed in the housing member 66 and thel adapter 3,61'espectively, thel adapter servingasfapar't otthevalye housing. It will be readily seen that vlongitudinal movement of the spool is` limited by the .shoulders gillllpand. 1121i provided by' the recessingI and.v that any. maniement of .the Stem necessarily induces like movement of, the spool.;

In additin.-toebeingfbord 1Q.- .aseommodate the Spool 100;. valve'houslin A niernhel.` 98, is. radially bored and counter-.boredto yyidecircular central passageways 122 'andi y124.; `and. circular end passageways 126.. and 128i Passagen/gays;.1,22y andr 124 represent. inlety passageways,f the.inletrpc'ntl 113,0.,(Figure 77),openilngyto both.v Passageways'i12`6 4c'omrnunicate.with a longitudinal passagevay 132 KFigure 6) '.connectingvia port 131 with theA hose 52 .throughwhich exhaust fluid from ,thgcylinder 18.is\.returued to. thesomgce oiiuid pressure. A second lgiiiiiip"Psissway1lftligures 5*, 8-10) extends 13'6fi1itl1e.'A r.housing .member 6 6: passageway 136. QnltS-J ,tht the@15111111215-V wnduit 70,1. which; .as previously noted, opensitqifthg cylinder via the apertures .74

A third longitudinal passageway,138 inV the housing membr'lfjeitss. fram;arntintermediate thecentral land igm'i?) -andnthfendtlad toc apoint: of

iunture. Wifhfressagewaydl iwhe housinemember 66; PassagswawMilf-terminatesln the, recess l96 `form,- inapart. Ofgfhe chambeaof :thanx/linderestelar fqithefleftrof. thev'alve; Spool 1001(Eiggrifsy1 a lspring 142 This springs-penance ed Wifhinf-thefadapter; 36 and bearsainS-t"thtlstewashselllS andthe; annular wallv represeating the'.,niaxirnui11-J `depth of .the recess. Similarly, to;

the. 'rishtflthe S9991 they neutral. lcetateredfcondtcn. inwhiclrv the Spool is cated; is determin y v.

I pieceglgthere, is coniined withinl a recess;; fonnedinth valve. housing member66 and sur-l roundingstheemti119%;211Seeond-ispne 144.- whichy bears.' aganstfthetthms! washes:lqandfthefannular wall. 113.,

Sarina14ki1I1d.-144,;t aided. by Ytuid pressure ,as laterexplained, serve to normally maintain the valvespoolin laterally into two streams corresponding to the' opposite sides or faces of the piston in the power cylinder 18.

The pump, not shown, representing the source of the fluid medium is in constant operation at all times, the uid merely being cycled through the unitary valve and power cylinder when there is no power steering demand. It is to be noted that the fluid diverted to the left of the central land 116 has ingressv to the right hand end of the cylinder (Figure via passageways 134, 136, annular conduit 70 and aperture 74, while the uid diverted to the right of the central land has ingress (Figure 7) to the left-hand end of the cylinder via passageways 138, 140 and recess 96. The recycle of the lfluid to the pump, o-r to the reservoir supplying the pump, follows passageway 132 (Figure 6) which is common to the circular passageways 126 and 128 and which connects with the port corresponding to the fixture 48 (Figure 2).

Considering that the system is neces-sarily operated under a substantial pressure, reaching a maximum somewhat in excess of 700 pounds per square inch at high steering resistances, it should be apparent that a low pressure seal such as shown at 78 would not normally prevent leakage. This seal, however, is adequate to withstand the pressure of the fluid which accumulates from leakage past the 'bushing 76 betweenlthe seal and the spring loaded 'ball check valve 152 (Figure 5). Such valve is disposed in a passageway 150 which connects with the chamber 86-88 via a passageway 146 (Figure 7) extending radial-ly from the space 148 representing the clearance between the head of the lock nut 101 and the inner wall of the recess in which the head of the nut is confined. Pa-ssageway 146 opens to annular conduit 72, which in turn connects with passageway 90. The valve 152 is necessary in order to prevent reversal of lluid ow in the identified passageways; i. e. entry of fluid into these passageways from the left-hand end of the cylinder. When lsuicient pressure develops between the seal and valve the latter is unseated and the bleed fluid enters the cylinder and is thus re-used in the system without loss.

Reverting now to the recesses housing the springs 142 and 144, for the purpose of the invention, as applied to a gear comprising the particular type of valve disclosed, -these recesses are employed as pressure chambers for hydraulic reaction to the end of supplementing the centering action of the springs. With the valve spool in centered relation, each of the chambers will be seen as open to the pump inlet and to the corresponding end of the power cylinder 18. Thus, the left-hand chamber 154 connects with the inlet port 130 via circular central passageway 124, a short passageway 158 in the spool l 100, an annular passageway 160 provided by the clearance between the reduced portion of the lstern 44 and the spool, and a passageway 161 formed in the shoulder 114. Such chamber connects with the left-hand end of the cylinder 18 through the last-mentioned passageway, the annular passageway 160, the short passageway 153 in the spool and passageways 138 and 140 (Figure 7). The right-hand chamber 156 connects with port 130 via circular central passageway 122, passageways 134 and 136 and a short branch passageway 162 shown as depending from passageway 136 in the `section provided by Figure 5. The latter two passageways with the annular conduit 70 and the aperture 74 provide the connection between chamber 156 and the right hand end of the power cylinder.

When the valve spool is in its centered position as shown, the two chambers 154 and 156 are under substantially atmospheric pressure. However, on movement of the spool 100 in either direction, the chamber in the direction of movement becomes pressurized to the same extent as the end of the power cylinder with which the chamber communicates, while the llow of fluid to the opposite chamber is partially or completely blocked, de-

pending upon the extent of the movement. Accordingly, the movement of the valve spool i-s opposed not only by the force of the spring compressed incident to they movement but also by a uid force whichis proportionate to the pressure required in the cylinder to turn the dirigible wheels in the desired direction and hence -to the steering resistance. The steering feel so 0btained is just one of several advantages of the system. Another major advantage resides in the fact that vibrations normally transmitted up the steering shaft to the steering wheel are substantially eliminated by the centering mechanism.

The opposing pressure which develops in the chamber 154 on the leftward movement of the valve spool is exerted against the end of the valve spool. Similarly, the opposing pressure which develops in the chamber 156 on the rightward movement of the spool is exerted against the end of the spool. It must be taken into account here that washers 108 and 106 have only a sliding t about the stem 44 and the nut 102, respectively, and within the recesses in which they are confined.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the annular shoulder 165 provided by the locking nut 101 is formed to the same area as the annular shoulder 166 representing the exposed portion of the head of the nut 102. Thus, in terms of fluid reaction, these shoulders cancel out. This leaves in the chamber 156 as surfaces for uid reaction, the right hand end 170 of the spool 100 and the annular shoulder 172. Such shoulder 172 is formed to a slightly greater area than the annular step 174 to the left of the left hand end 176 of the spool. Accordingly, the negative effect of the shoulder 172 with reference to the resistance represented by the surface 170 on rightward movement of the spool is greater than the negative eiect of the step 174 relative to the resistance represented by surface 176 on leftward movement of the spool. The purpose of this differential is to compensate for the reduction in the eective area of the right-hand face of the piston 22 caused by the shaft 24.

It will be understood that because the effective area of the right-hand face of the piston is less than that of the left hand face, a higher pressure must be developed in the right-hand end of the cylinder to bring about movement of the cylinder to the right, than must be developed in the left hand end of the cylinder to cause movement of the same to the left. Since the effective area for hydraulic reaction is made less in the right-hand reaction chamber 156, which it is to be remembered, is interconnected with the right-hand end of the cylinder, the force required at the steering v/heel to move the spool 100 to the right, as necessary to confine the fluid ow to the light-hand end of the cylinder, is no greater than the force required for leftward movement of the spool, hence the undesirable condition mentioned in the forepart hereof is eliminated.

To describe now the general operation of the gear (Figure 3), let it be assumed that the operator of the vehicle wishes to negotiate a right turn and that the steering resistance is such that the valve spool tends to move relative to the valve housing despite the integrating elfect of the forces previously discussed. In this case, on the clockwise rotation of the steering shaft 34 and the consequent forward movement of the rod 28, the valve spool will be displaced to the left (Figure 7) against the resistance of the spring 142 and the fluid pressure which instantaneously develops in the chamber 154. The ow of the fluid to the power cylinder now being substantially or completely confined to the forward end thereof served by the passageways 138, 140, the cylinder is caused to move forwardly to rotate the bell crank 10 clockwise on its pivot. This clockwise rotation of the bell crank of course swing-s both of the tie rods 12 to the left and the dirigible wheels to the right. On cessation of the steering effort at the steering wheel, the valve parts promptly assume their normal centered relation and the dirigible wheels arerestored to straight ahead position by the.-

geometry o fj the steering linkage.

` When the-operator rotates the steering shaft 34 to the lef-tin orderto negotiate a left turn, the action obviously will-bathe oppositeof that justdescribed, the cylinder in this instance being-caused to move rearwardly by partial or complete connementwof the ow ofthe pressure uid to-theendof` the cylindenfrom which the piston shaft 24 extends.-

Shouldthe steering resistance be abnormally high (as when,one-ofjtheadirigible wheels is being turned against a high curb, for example) damage to any of the componentfpartsof the system-l may-be prevented by a suitb1ylocatedf relievalve; This-isa-conventional`expedient wellllenownfinthert and the lvalvefor that reason need not bei11ustrated'.in-,the drawings.

It should be,` readily apparent that a vehicle equipped asillustratedicanbesteered manually through the adapter 36Lin -the event offaf-breakdown in the hydraulic system.

Immariualsteering,l there-will, of course,V be a very slight' lag in either direction owing to the lost motion represented by-the space .betweenthe thrust washers 106 and 108 andithe shoulders-112` and.110, respectively.

Weelaim:

Ima hydraulie actuator comprising a power cylinderconningvardoubleacting.pistonhaving a shaft extendingfrom-4 one` faceV thereof through the adjacent end wall of the cylinder, a valvehousing formed to provide a chamber atreither endithereof adapted to contain fluid under pressure, andfz aV1 spool. element within said housing axially movab1e.to.contr0l uidflow to the two ends-of said cylinder,tl1e ends=of said spool element being of substantiallytheY samearea andiprovidingiuid reaction surfaces within said chambers, stern means through whiclrsaid spoolelement is actuated; saidstem means carryinga pair of' annular ribs at either end thereof 'accommodated lwithin said chambers, the inner three of `'the four shoulders provided by each pair'of-saidribs being. subject to the pres-` sure-of; the uidwithin the corresponding chamber, the outertwoofj-'said three-shoulders being of 'areas such that theysubstantially-neutralize each other in point of reaction to the 'uid pressure in the chamber, the inner of; said three shoulders acting-inopposition to the corresponding end ofl said'spool elementandinthe case ofthe chamber corresponding tothe piston shaft` end ofv said cylinder being formedl to-an areareducing the elective surface offthe endlof'tbe spool element toa degree compensating for the piston'shaft, whereby the fluid'resistance to move-A ment of said spool element is substantially the same in either-direction,

ReferenceslCitedLin the tile of this patent UNIIIzjDA STATES PATENTS 2,307,910i Baade- Jan. 12, 19431 2,345,531: Ganahll Mar. 28, 1944 2,380,705; Proctor July 31, 1945 2,526,709. Tait Oct. 24, 1950 2,596,242 Hill May 13, 1952A 2,608,263 Garrison Aug. 26, 1952 2,627,847 Clark Feb. 10, 1953 2,681,045 Klessig June 15, 1954 2,702,529 Doerfner- Feb. 22, 1955 2,757,748 MacDutf Aug. 7, 1956 

